8 
Fishery Bulletin 1 13(1) 
Hours in a day Cumulative Hours in a day 
probability (%) 
Cumulative 
probability (%) 
Hours in a day 
Cumulative Hours in a day 
probability (%) 
Cumulative 
probability (%) 
Figure 4 
Depth probability plots constructed for the months of (A) January (i!=267,840), (B) March (n=267,840), (C) July 0i=313,706), 
and (D) November (n=259,200) and summarized over a 24-h period for 16 adult white seabass (Atractoscion nobilis ) at lib- 
erty for >12 months along California and Baja California, Mexico, during 2008-2011. Dashed vertical lines represent time 
of sunrise and sunset to illustrate increased vertical movements around dusk and dawn. 
of the United States and Mexico, further supporting 
the need for a cohesive international management re- 
gime for this species. 
Tag recoveries 
All recaptured white seabass were reported in good 
physical condition. The dissection of a 125-cm-TL fe- 
male recaptured 17 days after release revealed that the 
tagging incision was completely healed and that there 
was no infection or postrelease trauma. Similarly, in 
a controlled study to evaluate the effects of surgically 
implanting V-16 tags (Vemco, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 
Canada) in wild-caught white seabass (75-124 cm TL), 
incision sites healed within 90 days, and there were 
no indications of necrosis or infection (Stutzer, 2004). 
Stutzer (2004) also found no long-term (450 days) ef- 
fects on growth, feeding behavior, or survival for the 
adult white seabass that received tag implants (n= 30), 
versus fish in control (n=20) and sham surgery groups 
(71=20). Although survival of white seabass was not 
likely influenced by the capture, handling, or tagging 
processes, it is possible that other factors (e.g., preda- 
tion and barotrauma) influenced postrelease survival 
in the study described here. At least 2 tagged individu- 
als were observed to have been preyed upon by Cali- 
fornia sea lions (Zalophus californianus) directly after 
release. Increased vulnerability to predation directly 
after release likely was associated with the effects of 
exertion, gas bladder inflation, and equilibrium loss 
experienced during the capture process (Danylchuk et 
ah, 2007). 
